Winter Energy Budgets and Cost of Arousals for Hibernating Little Brown Bats, Myotis lucifugus

Thomas, Donald W.; Dorais, Martin; Bergeron, Jean‐Marie

doi:10.2307/1381967

Cited by 270 publications

(252 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Some variables included have not been measured in little brown bats, so data from the ecologically similar Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) are used when necessary. Calculations of energy expenditure by little brown bats during hibernation are well established (Humphries et al 2005;Thomas et al 1990) and this species has been successfully used in other bioenergetic models (Humphries et al 2002).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Energetic expenditure.-We used a simple mathematical model to estimate energy expenditure during hibernation following a basic model previously used in several papers (Humphries et al 2002(Humphries et al , 2005Thomas et al 1990). In the simplest form, the entire energetic cost of winter (E win ) is calculated according to the equation:…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We used a constant value of 0.235 mW/g for torpid metabolic rate (TMR) at a minimum T a of 58C (Kelly 2003) and estimated E cool as 67% of the cost of E ar (Thomas et al 1990). Other values are from table 2.1 in Humphries et al (2005).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During each hour of torpor, an individual expended energy at the rate estimated by TMR. At the end of each torpor bout, the individual expended energy equal to E bout before resuming energy expenditure at TMR 3 h later (Thomas et al 1990). We calculated survival rates for populations based on 12 winter lengths (90-200 d) that span the range of winter lengths experienced by hibernating bats in temperate regions.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

A reanalysis of apparent survival rates of Indiana myotis (Myotis sodalis)

Boyles¹,

Walters²,

Whitaker³

et al. 2007

Acta Chiropterologica

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

A reanalysis of apparent survival rates of Indiana myotis (Myotis sodalis)

Boyles¹,

Walters²,

Whitaker³

et al. 2007

Acta Chiropterologica

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“…During hibernation, fat is metabolized at a rate determined by TMR. Periodically, the animal arouses to euthermic T b and fat is metabolized at resting metabolic rate for 3 h (Thomas et al, 1990;Humphries et al, 2002). Energy expenditure during the warming phase of arousal is calculated as the energy necessary to warm from torpid T b to euthermic T b and the cooling phase is calculated as 67% of the warming phase (Thomas et al, 1990).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy conservation in hibernating endotherms: Why “suboptimal” temperatures are optimal

Boyles

McKechnie

2010

Ecological Modelling

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a b s t r a c tMany endotherms use facultative heterothermic responses of torpor or hibernation to conserve energy during periods of low energy availability. A common assumption when estimating winter energy budgets is that endotherms should hibernate at the ambient temperature (T a ) that minimizes torpid metabolic rate (TMR) and maximizes the duration of torpor bouts. However, previous studies of the energetic benefits of hibernation have assumed constant T a within hibernacula. Here we use an individual-based energetic model to estimate overwinter energy expenditure of mammals hibernating at T a s that vary temporally. We show that, in accordance with the principles of Jenson's inequality, hibernators can conserve energy by selecting microclimates warmer than the single T a value that minimizes TMR (T min ). As temporal variation in T a increases, endotherms should choose microclimates with mean T a s progressively warmer than T min . Further, as thermal conductance decreases, as it does with increasing body mass and use of social thermoregulation, the mean T a that minimizes overwinter energy expenditure approaches, but never equals, T min . We suggest that the commonly held assumption of stable microclimates in hibernacula has skewed the interpretation of the optimal expression of hibernation for energy conservation. Our results contradict much of the accepted understanding of hibernation energetics and add to a growing body of literature proposing that hibernating at a T a warmer than T min is optimal.

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White‐nose Syndrome and Bats

2017

Bats and Human Health

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Winter Energy Budgets and Cost of Arousals for Hibernating Little Brown Bats, Myotis lucifugus

Cited by 270 publications

References 10 publications

A reanalysis of apparent survival rates of Indiana myotis (Myotis sodalis)

A reanalysis of apparent survival rates of Indiana myotis (Myotis sodalis)

Energy conservation in hibernating endotherms: Why “suboptimal” temperatures are optimal

White‐nose Syndrome and Bats

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